Numbering Plans

[sull...@edn-vax.arpa.uucp]

Has anyone out there done any thinking about numbering plan
strategies which would eventually reconcile different addressing
schemes, such as voice (E.163), ISDN (E.164), data (1822, X.121,
IP) and eventually lead to a uniform addressing standard?
I'm coming at this from an ISDN perspective, since I am a participant
in the DoD ISDN Technology and Standards Working Group.
We are considering a proposed "goal" numbering plan which would
migrate everything (voice and data subscribers) to E.164
(the 15 digit ISDN number) and use of the ISDN subaddress which
(I am told) is compatible with the ISO addressing plan and would
be conveyed transparently by ISDN's.

"Goal" in this case means far in the future, but I can see some
possible problems. Foremost would be the problem of vendor acceptance
and support. I assume that vendor X.25 interfaces use X.121 addressing.
ISDN 2B+D data services could take on a variety of forms, but in many
if not most cases a mainframe subscriber would be using one of the
64kb B channels to access an "external" data network which might be
based on X.121 addressing. Either the subscriber or the vendor will
have to do some name server functions for a long time before the world
turns E.164.

I guess this is my real question:
Isn't it really too early to be talking about a global numbering
scheme for voice and data that would be imposed as a procurement
specification? If not, why not? Thanks for all thoughts.

Please reply directly to me as well as to the lists.

Thanks,
Pat Sullivan
Defense Communications Engineering Center
Reston, VA.